Winch Straps for Heavy-duty Cargo Securement on Flatbed Trailers

Winch Straps are the most commonly used tie-down strap for flatbed trailers due to their heavy-duty strength, affordability, and easy-to-use design that helps to save time so you can focus on the driving. Flatbed Winch Straps are made from a polyester tie-down webbing blend that provides durability and strength with a very little stretching.

This is an ideal combination for professional flatbed truck drivers as it helps to ensure the cargo you are transporting remains stationed in place during transit without the risk of falling off of the trailer as flatbed trailers do not have any walls. As there are no walls on the trailer the risk of potential injury to other motorists is heightened and using reputable tried and tested winch straps is crucial.

At Lodi Metals we have been manufacturing winch straps, ratchet straps, and other tie-down straps over the last 29 years in-house with customization options that fit your load securement needs best. As our winch straps are made in-house we have the ability to help you make the perfect flatbed winch strap with lengths of webbing, colors of webbing, stenciled company branding, and various hardware options. Learn more about our customization capabilities by giving us a call today at 800-807-5634.

The Cost to Replace Winch Straps vs Ratchet Straps

We often hear feedback from customers regarding the very different price differences between flatbed winch straps and ratchet straps. The main difference is that winch straps do not include ratchet hardware and are tightened into place by using the rub rails that are installed along the sides of the flatbed trailer.

As winch straps do not need the ratchet hardware to be tightened the savings in both the cost of materials and shipping combined can be much more affordable to replace. For example, a 4” x 30’ Winch Strap with Flat Hooks can be replaced when damaged for a total starting cost per strap of $15.25 each plus the cost of shipping.

The same exact working load limit alternative ratchet strap can start at $38.95 each plus the additional cost of shipping. This results in savings greater than 39% by purchasing flatbed winch straps when it is possible without the additional cost of factoring in the price of shipping. This is one of the main reasons you often see professional flatbed owners installing flatbed winch track systems along the rails of the trailer.

Another piece of information to help determine which strap is better for your securement applications is how many straps can be shipped in each box. When you look at 4-inch Ratchet Straps they are extremely bulky and the ratchet hardware alone weighs over 7 lbs.

This results in more boxes being required to ship the order due to weight restrictions set in place by UPS and FedEx costing more money to ship to your location. Winch Straps can often fit more than twice the amount of straps per box count than alternative ratchet straps, saving you money in shipping costs.

The Different Sizes and Strengths of Flatbed Winch Straps

Flatbed winch straps can be made in 2 inches wide, 3-inch wide, and 4-inch wide polyester tie-down webbing with just about any length of webbing that is needed for your securement application as these are custom-made to order in-house. Depending on the weight of your cargo you can find safe working load limits ranging from 3,335 lbs to 5,670 lbs depending on the winch straps hardware configuration.

No matter if you are looking for wire hooks, flat hooks, or chain and hook we have a variety of different hardware options to help secure almost any load on a flatbed trailer. If you don’t find exactly what you are looking for odds are we can help you make the custom-made-to-order winch strap for an additional cost. Receive a quote or learn more about our customization capabilities by giving us a call at 800-807-5634 to get started today!

How to make Flatbed Winch Straps Last for Longer

One of the best ways to ensure you are getting the most out of your flatbed winch straps is with the use of corner protectors or rubber corner protector sleeves that slide along the webbing to the desired location. With the use of corner protectors or sleeves, you can help prevent sharp edges or corners from causing friction burns or cuts along the tie-down webbing and help to ensure you are getting the most out of your winch straps.

You can find our full selection of corner protectors to have numerous different sizes as well as strengths to help your winch straps last longer. Although, they are not required in order to secure cargo on flatbed trailers we strongly suggest you consider looking at the investment side of purchasing a corner protector or the price of replacing the strap if it becomes damaged.

We have corner protectors designed for pallets, transport chains, and heavy-duty corner protectors in oversized lengths that can protect rows of building material. For quotes or bulk pricing give our experts a call today at 800-807-5634 or by using our online contact-us form located at the top of the website if you prefer to communicate through email.

What is a Working Load Limit Rating?

Working Load Limits are used in order to help keep you and your cargo safe while being transported on public roadways as they take the breaking strength or ultimate force till failure and divide this number by three. For example, a 10,000 lb breaking strength until failure would have a safe working load limit (WLL) tag rating of 3,333 lbs per strap that is used.

Working Load Limit ratings are put into place by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in order to help keep you and other motorists on the roadways safe. As cargo is being secured on flatbed trailers and has no walls to protect the cargo if it were to tip over there are needed fail-safes in order to keep you safe. This is why we always strongly urge you to use enough tie-down straps in order to match the weight of the cargo and if you feel unsafe with your securement add more straps.

There is no real limit to the amount of tie-down straps or transport chains that you can use for your securement and adding additional safety is much better than not having enough. Fail safes are put in place to help counteract load shifts from sharp corners, hard braking, rapid accelerations, a strap failing, or even strong winds while on the road with flatbed trailers.

A motorist cutting you could cause a strap to break from changing lanes suddenly and could cause your straps to put further stress on the other tie-down straps for securement. One thing is for certain while being on the road for long periods of time it that is nearly impossible to predict how other motorists are going to act while going down the road and it’s better to be extra prepared for the worst.

If you have any questions regarding working load limits for flatbed trailers rest assured that you can give our experts a call at 800-807-5634 and our experts will do our best to help recommend tie-down straps to keep the weight of your cargo secured. You can also communicate with us via email by using our online contact us form located at the top of the website.

Frequently Asked Flatbed Winch Strap Questions

Are Flatbed Winch Straps Corrosion Resistant? – Yes, flatbed winch straps are generally corrosion resistant from things such as oxidation or rust that you may face while being on the road. Our winch strap hardware generally has a zinc coating that helps provide added durability and corrosion resistance or is coated with a black coating that provides similar results.

What are the most common lengths of winch straps for flatbed trailers? – The most commonly used sizes by far is 4-inch wide x 30-feet-long winch straps with flat hooks or wire hooks. The second more popular around the industry would be the 27 feet long winch straps for most flatbed trailer securement. Although, if it is needed to be made longer or shorter we can also do that in-house with a custom-made length of webbing.

How Long Do Flatbed Winch Straps Last? – It depends, on how often they are used ultimately and if they are used with or without corner protectors but typically several months on average per winch strap. This is why most flatbed trailer operators will often store extras inside of the cab of the semi-truck in case a strap were to end up breaking.

How Many Winch Straps Should I Purchase for my Flatbed? – Most drivers tend to purchase anywhere between 20 to 30 winch straps at a time to start and then purchase additional boxes of 10 straps as needed for replacement straps. Generally, this can last the driver longer than several months of repetitive usage and can give them a time frame of when to purchase replacements.

What color do Flatbed Winch Straps Come In? – Yellow, Blue, Orange, Olive Drag, Black, Green, Gray, or Burgundy for 2 inches wide. Yellow is the only color that is currently offered for 3-inch wide winch straps. Blue, Gray, Orange, and Yellow are the colors that are offered in our heaviest-duty 4-inch tie-down webbing rolls to make flatbed winch straps.

Where can I Purchase Slider Winch Systems for Flatbed Trailers? – You can find our slider winches, winch track, and other flatbed winch accessories found in our Flatbed Supplies section of the website with additional safety gear for flatbed trailers.